Today’s Reading:
Read Matthew 1:1-23; Luke 1:1-2:38
As we read the New Testament, we will see many of the prophecies we have been reading about being fulfilled. Do you remember what a prophecy is? When we read about prophecies in the Bible, we are reading about things God told the people would come to be. God used prophets like Isaiah, Micah and Jeremiah to tell the Israelites that He was sending a Messiah – or a Savior- to come and rescue them. God had a plan for the Israelites to no longer be separated from Him.
In Matthew 1, the author showed us the connection of Jesus to David and to Abraham. Jesus is the continuation of the fulfillment of God’s story that began when Abraham was chosen to be the “Father of Many Nations.” Remember, God’s covenant with Abraham is what established the Israelites as God’s chosen people. The prophets had told them that a savior that would allow them to no longer be separated from God was coming and that the savior would be of the line of David, as well.
When Jesus was born, the Savior the Israelites had been promised finally appeared. The prophecy from Micah said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2-5) Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be born to a woman who had not been married yet. (Isaiah 7:14) Isaiah also promised that a voice from the wilderness would announce the Messiah’s arrival. (Isaiah 40:1-5) John the Baptist, the baby born to Elizabeth and Zechariah, was the fulfillment of that prophecy. The wait for a Messiah was finally over. However, not everyone recognized that Jesus was the promised Messiah. (Another prophecy fulfilled!)
Application/Prayer:
Spend some time as a family considering this question: If Jesus was born today, would I recognize Him as the Savior? Discuss the signs that the Israelites could have seen that would have pointed to Jesus. What signs would you look for today if you were looking for Jesus? Thank God that we can feel His presence with us every day, even if we can’t see Him.
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
October memory verse coloring sheet
October Fill-in the blank activity